The 2025 Digital Healthcare Hackathon concluded successfully, bringing together students from medical, engineering, and nursing disciplines to collaboratively develop innovative solutions for pressing healthcare challenges.
Held over two days at the Industry-Academic Cooperation Center of UNIST from October 8 to 9, the event saw 69 students from UNIST, University of Ulsan (U of U) College of Medicine, and Yonsei University College of Nursing (YUCON) form cross-disciplinary teams to address real-world medical issues through creative technological approaches.
This hackathon is part of the K-BIO STAR Project, a national R&D initiative by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), which is designed to explore new solutions at the intersection of healthcare and technology. The program aims to cultivate next-generation professionals with expertise in medical science and bio-convergence, through the joint UNIST-Ulsan University Health Science and Technology (UU-HST) Program.
Participants engaged in dynamic discussions on topics such as medical imaging diagnostics, patient monitoring, telemedicine, emergency care, and drug selection. Leveraging artificial intelligence and big data, teams proposed solutions that push beyond existing healthcare service limitations.
A student is presenting a solution to medical problems with a creative idea at the hackathon.
The Grand Prize was awarded to TEAM BROCCOLi for their innovative AI-based personalized diet and skin diagnosis app tailored for children with atopic dermatitis. While the Excellence Prize was awarded to TEAM Sixth Sense and Team D.U.B.A.I and Team K-dementia_hunters for showcasing a range of cutting-edge ideas—from sensor-fusion smart mobility aids for visually impaired individuals to AI reminders supporting patients with dementia.
Winning teams will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions on a global stage, including participation in WHX Dubai (Formerly Arab Health) in February 2026 and the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Program, to further develop their ideas internationally.
The judging panel comprised Co-Founder Kihong Bae of Strong Ventures LLC, Professor Anna Lee of Yonsei University College of Nursing, Seungjae Baek, Head of UNIST Graduate School of Health Science and Technology, and Professor Sungchan Park of Ulsan University College of Medicine.
Kihong Bae remarked, “Analyzing healthcare challenges and developing business plans over just two days was an exhilarating experience. The synergy among teams composed of engineering, medical, and nursing students was remarkable and truly demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary collaboration.”
Seungjae Baek, Head of UNIST Graduate School of HST, emphasized the significance of the event, stating, “Bringing together students from diverse disciplines to define medical problems and craft solutions was incredibly meaningful. It provided a valuable firsthand experience of the transformative potential of digital healthcare. UNIST remains committed to fostering convergent talents at the nexus of healthcare and science and technology.”
Dean Hyeon Kyeong Lee of YUCON expressed her appreciation, saying, “It was inspiring to see students respect each other’s ideas and collaborate across disciplines. I hope this hackathon becomes a catalyst for nurturing talent capable of driving meaningful change in healthcare.”
This event was organized jointly by the UNIST Graduate School of Health Science and Technology, the UNIST Smart Healthcare Research Center, and the Ulsan University College of Medicine, with support from the UNIST Startup Support Team.
